Maintaining a Healthy Link Structure to Prevent Broken Links

To maintain a healthy link structure and prevent broken links, it is essential to implement a well-organized internal linking strategy combined with regular link audits and maintenance.

Key practices include:

• Create a logical website structure by grouping related content into silos or categories, ensuring top-level pages are easily accessible from the homepage, menu, and footer.

• Link only to relevant and important pages that are contextually connected to the source page, enhancing user experience and signalling page importance to search engines.

• Avoid link clutter by limiting the number of internal links on any page or section to prevent overwhelming users and diluting link equity.

• Use descriptive and varied anchor texts to avoid keyword stuffing and repeated anchors on multiple pages, which improves SEO and usability.

• Place internal links strategically within content, distributing them evenly and avoiding excessive links at the top or footer areas.

• Regularly audit your website for broken links using tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs to identify and fix broken internal and external links promptly.

• Implement 301 redirects for any URLs that have changed or been removed to preserve link equity and prevent broken links.

• Maintain URL structure consistency during site updates or redesigns to reduce the risk of broken internal links.

• Train content teams to check links before and after publishing and to update or remove outdated links during scheduled content reviews.

By combining these structural and maintenance practices, you can ensure a healthy link structure that improves user experience, preserves SEO value, and prevents broken links effectively.